Teens given second chance

Miramar PAL helps first-time offenders

November 24, 2006|By Nick Sortal Staff Writer

The Miramar Police Athletic League has added a program to help teens who go off track.

The organization has formed a partnership with Harmony Development, a Lauderhill-based program designed to help teenagers who are one-time criminal offenders. Program participants work on community service projects and hear lectures; and their criminal record is expunged upon completion of the course, PAL Executive Director Kim Burgess said.

"The program goes very well with the mission of PAL," she said. "These kids are one-time offenders and they're getting a fresh start."

The idea is to avoid recurring incidents, Burgess said. The youths' offenses are misdemeanors, such as fighting or petty larceny.

"If they go into the justice system, their chance of success drops and the cycle continues," she said. "This is an attempt to break the cycle."

Youths ages 12 to 17 are referred to Harmony by the Broward State Attorney's Office, which uses it as a diversion program. Harmony staff runs the free program and is paid by the Miramar PAL, which obtained $110,000 from the Children's Services Board and $20,000 from the city, Burgess said.

The PAL joined the program in October with about eight participants and was based at Whispering Pines Center, next to Miramar High School.

The PAL would like to add more participants, but there's not enough space at Whispering Pines. Burgess said she is looking for temporary space for the youths to meet every day.

Burgess said the problem should be resolved by April, when the Miramar PAL center on Miramar Parkway, near H.D. Perry Middle School, is due to open. The $6 million center had a groundbreaking earlier this year.

The building, which will have basketball courts, fitness rooms, classrooms, a computer lab and game room, will be called the Miramar Youth Development Center. The city will control it in the evenings and have activities there unrelated to the PAL, Burgess said.

Currently, the PAL is conducting soccer, basketball, flag football and kickball programs at local parks.

Nick Sortal can be reached at nsortal@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7906.